Gaming apparatus

ABSTRACT

Gaming apparatus ( 10 ) comprising a processor ( 28 ) operable to display a plurality of symbols ( 52 A- 52 E) on a screen ( 14 ), each symbol having a respective win designation. Symbol control means in the form of operating buttons ( 16 A-E) enable a user to select a symbol whereby to move the symbol from a non-viewable condition in which the respective win designation cannot be viewed, to a viewable condition in which the win designation is revealed. Upon selection of each symbol, the respective symbol is disposed of with only the final symbol to be selected providing a win in accordance with the win designation of that symbol.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to gaming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] Gaming machines for playing card games, for example poker andblackjack are well known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to one aspect of this invention, there is providedgaming apparatus comprising: symbol providing means for providing aplurality of symbols, each symbol having a respective win designation;display means for displaying each symbol to a user; symbol control meansfor providing each symbol with a viewable condition in which therespective win designation can be displayed on the display means, and anon-viewable condition in which the respective win designation cannot beviewed; and selection means operable by the user for selecting eachsymbol in turn, wherein upon selection of each symbol, the respectivesymbol is disposed in its viewable condition, and win means forregistering the final symbol to be selected and providing a win inaccordance with the win designation of said final symbol.

[0004] Preferably, the selection means is operable to select each symbolon specific selection of the respective symbol by the user. Theselection means may be configured to select the aforesaid final symbolwhen the user has selected the penultimate symbol.

[0005] The symbols may be representations of cards in which one facethereof includes the respective win designation. The symbols may includerepresentations of playing cards.

[0006] The win designations may represent values, for example monetaryvalues, or may represent multiples of an amount, for example of amonetary amount.

[0007] In one embodiment, the win designations may be the same each timethe apparatus is used. In another embodiment, the win designations mayvary each time the apparatus is used.

[0008] According to another aspect of this invention, there is provideda gaming assembly comprising a plurality of gaming apparatus associatedwith each other, wherein at least one of the symbols has a variable windesignation, said variable win designation being dependent upon aproportion of money entered into each of said apparatus for the purposeof playing.

[0009] Preferably, the selection of the aforesaid symbol results in theuser winning the amount of money accumulated from each of said gamingapparatus.

[0010] Preferably the gaming apparatus is substantially as described inany of paragraphs three to seven above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

[0012]FIG. 1 is a front view of a gaming apparatus in use;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of a gaming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 afterit has been further used;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional side view of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

[0015]FIG. 4 shows a gaming assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown gamingapparatus 10 for playing a game. The apparatus 10 can be, if desired,used for playing a main game, with the game the subject of the presentinvention being supplementary to the main game. The main game may be,for example, a game of poker, as described below.

[0017] The apparatus 10 comprises a housing 12 for housing thecomponents thereof. Display means in the form of a screen 14 is providedin an upper region of the housing 12. Below the screen 14 there isprovided operating means in the form of a plurality of buttons 16A-E,the purpose of which will be described below. Underneath the buttons16A-E there is provided a win retrieval arrangement defining an aperture18 which leads to a chute 20 to enable the user to retrieve coins ortokens in the event of a win, as will be explained below.

[0018] At the top of the housing 12 there is provided a paymentarrangement 22, to enable a user to effect payment for playing the game.The payment arrangement 22 comprises an insert slot 24 via which a usercan insert coins or tokens, and a reject slot 26 through whichinappropriate coins or tokens can be rejected.

[0019]FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic sectional side view of the apparatusin FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 2, the components are representedschematically. The components of the apparatus 10 comprise a centralprocessing means or processor 28 for controlling the gaming apparatus10. The screen 14 is electronically connected to the processor 28, asrepresented by the broken line 30.

[0020] The apparatus 10 also comprises coin storage means 34 for storingcoins which are inserted into the apparatus when the apparatus is to beplayed. The coin storage means 34 communicates with the coin receivingslot 24 via a coin conduit 36. A coin reader 38 is provided on the coinconduit 36 to determine the value of coins inserted into the coinreceiving slot 24.

[0021] In the event that the coin reader 38 detects an inappropriatecoin, for example a coin of the wrong denomination, it will be rejectedvia the coin reject slot 26.

[0022] The coin reader 38 is electronically connected to the processor28 so that information relating to the amount of money or tokensinserted is transmitted to the processor 28. The electronic connectionbetween the coin reader 38 and the processor 28 is represented by thebroken line 40.

[0023] The coin storage means 34 is connected to the processor 26 by anelectronic connection represented by the broken line 42.

[0024] Dispensing means 44 is provided on the coin storage means 34. Thedispensing means 44 is electronically connected to the processor 28 by aconnection represented by the broken line 48.

[0025] The coins in the coin storage means 34 can be sorted intorespective different denominations for dispensing by the dispensingmeans 44. The connection 42 of the coin storage means 34 to theprocessor 28 allows the transfer of information relating to the numberand amount of coins stored in the coin storage means 34 to the processor28. When a player wins, the processor 28 directs the dispensing means 44to dispense coins from the coin storage means 34 onto the chute 20 tothe value of the amount won. The coins won can be retrieved from thechute 20 via the aperture 18 by the player.

[0026] The operating buttons 16A-E are electronically connected to theprocessor 28 as shown by the broken line 50.

[0027] In use, when a player inserts coins to an appropriate value intothe coin receiving slot 24. The processor 28 then causes the screen 14to display representations of five cards 52A-52E, as shown in FIGS. 1and 2. Each of the cards 52A-52E is provided with a win designation,which, in the embodiment shown, is in the form of an amount of money tobe won. The representations of the cards are displayed on the screen 14in a non-viewable condition, i.e. face down, so that the user cannot seethe win designations on each card 52A-E.

[0028] In order to play the game, the user then selects which cards areto be rejected by the processor 28. Four of the cards 52A-E are selectedfor rejection and the remaining one of the cards 52A-E is the card whichprovides the user with the win.

[0029] In more detail, each of the cards 52A-E corresponds to arespective one of the operating buttons 16A-E. As explained above, eachof the cards 52A-E is shown face down, i.e. so that the user can seeonly to backs of the cards 52A-E. FIG. 1 shows a stage of the game wherethree cards, namely cards 52C, 52D and 52E have been selected already sothat these cards are in their respective viewable conditions, and thewin designations of these cards are visible. The cards 52A and 52B havenot yet been selected so that these cards are in their respectivenon-viewable conditions, and the win designation of these cards cannotbe seen by the user.

[0030] In order to play the game, the user selects which of the cards52A-E is to be rejected by pressing the appropriate button 16A-E. Forexample, if he wishes to select the card 52E, the button 16E would bepressed. Similarly, to select the card 52C, the button 16C would bepressed, and so on. Each time one of the buttons 16A-E is pressed, thecorresponding card is moved to its viewable condition, for example bythe display means simulating the cards being turned over so that itsrespective win designation can be seen by the user. After the user hasselected four of the cards 52A-E, and these four cards thereby beingrejected, the remaining or final card is the card which will provide theuser with a win. The remaining card is then automatically moved to itsviewable condition by the processor 28 to reveal the value of the windesignation of the card. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, all of thecards 52A-52E have been selected. If the final card to be selected wasthe card 52B, the player would win the amount shown on the card 52B,namely £500.

[0031] If desired, the win designations on each card could be multiplesof the amount inserted into the slot 24 of the apparatus 10, and couldbe, for example, “×1000”, “×500”, “×250”, “×100” and “×50”. It will beappreciated that the win designations could be of any value and, ifdesired, at least one of them could represent a win of zero.

[0032] Various modifications can be made without departing from thescope of the invention, for example when each of the cards 52A-E isselected, it could be removed from the screen, or represented in someway to show that the user has not won this amount. Also, the buttons 16Ato E could be replaced by the screen 14 being in the form of a touchsensitive screen, whereby a user touching the screen 14 on one of therepresentations of the cards 52A to E could cause the win designation ofthat card to be revealed. A further modification is that there could beany number of cards 52, for example seven or ten, each havingappropriate win designation.

[0033] Also, if desired, the apparatus could be programmed to operatewith the use of notes and/or credit cards or debit cards. In such cases,the payment arrangement 22 would be modified, in a known way, to dealwith such payment methods. Also, the win retrieval arrangement mightneed to be modified in a way known in the art.

[0034] The game described in the gaming apparatus 10 could be a standalone game or a supplementary game to a further game played on theapparatus 10. For example, the gaming apparatus 10 could be programmedto enable the user to play a game of poker or blackjack. Alternatively,the gaming apparatus could be programmed to enable the user to play agame in the form of a standard slot machine type game. Such games arewell known in this field and will not be described in detail in thisapplication. The game described above could be accessed on any desiredbasis, for example randomly or by achieving certain card or reelcombinations in the main game. The buttons 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2are provided to enable the user to operate the main game.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a game assembly 150comprising a plurality of game apparatus 10 linked to a centralprocessor unit 152. Each of the game apparatus 10 operates independentlyof the others, with the exception that the central processor registersthat a proportion of the money inputted to each game, for example 3%, isavailable to win by the players on any of the gaming apparatus 10comprised in the gaming assembly.

[0036] In operation, one of the cards 52A-E shown on each gamingapparatus could have as its win designation the amount of money whichhas been stored by the central processor 152 since the last time thatparticular card was selected as the final card. If this card is selectedby the user as the final card, then the user would win the amount whichis stored by the central processor.

[0037] Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to drawattention to those features of the invention believed to be ofparticular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claimsprotection in respect of any patentable feature or combination offeatures hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whetheror not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

1-14. (Canceled)
 15. Gaming apparatus comprising: symbol providing meansfor providing a plurality of symbols, each symbol having a respectivewin designation; display means for displaying each symbol to a user;symbol control means for providing each symbol with a viewable conditionin which the respective win designation can be displayed on the displaymeans, and a non-viewable condition in which the respective windesignation cannot be viewed; and selection means operable by the userfor selecting each symbol in turn, wherein upon selection of eachsymbol, the respective symbol is disposed in its viewable condition, andwin means for registering the final symbol to be selected and providinga win in accordance with the win designation of said final symbol. 16.Gaming apparatus according to claim 15, in which the selection means isoperable to select each symbol on specific selection of the respectivesymbol by the user.
 17. Gaming apparatus according to claim 15, in whichthe selection means is configured to select the aforesaid final symbolwhen the user has selected the penultimate symbol.
 18. Gaming apparatusaccording to claim 15, in which the symbols are representations of cardsin which one face thereof includes the respective win designation. 19.Gaming apparatus according to claim 18, in which the symbols includerepresentations of playing cards.
 20. Gaming apparatus according toclaim 15, in which the win designations represent values.
 21. Gamingapparatus according to claim 20, in which the win designations representmonetary valves.
 22. Gaming apparatus according to claim 15, in whichthe win designations represent multiples of an amount.
 23. Gamingapparatus according to claim 22, in which the win designations representmultiples of monetary amount.
 24. Gaming apparatus according to claim15, in which the win designations are the same each time the apparatusis used.
 25. Gaming apparatus according to claim 15, in which the windesignations vary each time the apparatus is used.
 26. A gaming assemblycomprising a plurality of gaming apparatus associated with each other,wherein at least one of the symbols has a variable win designation, saidvariable win designation being dependent upon a proportion of moneyentered into each of said apparatus for the purpose of playing.
 27. Agaming assembly according to claim 26, in which the selection of theaforesaid symbol results in the user winning the amount of moneyaccumulated from each of said gaming apparatus.
 28. A gaming assemblyaccording to claim 26, in which the gaming apparatus comprises symbolproviding means for providing a plurality of symbols, each symbol havinga respective win designation; display means for displaying each symbolto a user; symbol control means for providing each symbol with aviewable condition in which the respective win designation can bedisplayed on the display means, and a non-viewable condition in whichthe respective win designation cannot be viewed; and selection meansoperable by the user for selecting each symbol in turn, wherein uponselection of each symbol, the respective symbol is disposed in itsviewable condition, and win means for registering the final symbol to beselected and providing a win in accordance with the win designation ofsaid final symbol.